u/ObligationNo5435

First playthrough of Ultra Sun and, like, IMMEDIATELY after getting pokeballs I ran into this shiny Grubbin! I haven't even tried filling out the pokedex in YEARS, but I just so happened to decide to go for it this run. So I was farming the first route encounters to catch mons when this darling showed up. Incredible luck or deserved after not seeing a single shiny for my entire X playthrough?

She's doing well and recently evolved into a Charjabug which let her destroy Totem Araquanid after a drawn out back-and-forth battle.

First time playing Ultra Sun and ran into this little girl within, like, 10 encounters! (she's shiny, for anyone not very familiar with Grubbin)

So, question, Grubbins any good in Sun?

I don't normally use bug types, but I'll play against my typical style for the sake carrying a shiny through the whole game. It's like a sign, you know?

Special Rules:

1) NO CATCHING. Instead, run begins with PC "magically" filled with every legendary (and mythical) from gens 1-5. (why no 6, idk)

2) Team size is limited to 3, +1 for every 2 badges. So at game start team = 3, after 2 badges +1 team member, at 4 badges add another, and etc.

3) When adding a new team member, you may use Rare Candies to make their level equal to that of the lowest level member in the party.

Optional) Do not use more than 1 'mon from each generation, unless a gen is "extinct" (I started out intending to follow this rule, but, I confess, I chose to ignore it as soon as it became inconvenient)

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This was my 1st time playing Pokemon X and I had a pretty good time. The idea for this "challenge" (if you can even call it that) came from the realization that I'd never actually used a legendary pokemon before. Whenever the option came up in any prior game, I always refused. I suffer from some compulsion that drives me to think that it's wrong or bad to use them. So I decided to commit to a run where the ONLY thing I would use was legends. And my starter.

However, out of fear that it would be TOO easy, I also decided to follow the basic Nuzlocke rule, "fainting = death". Making this my 1st Nuzlocke too! Hurrah!

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AWARDS

Biggest Disappointment: Regirock

I intended Regirock to be my wall, that I could switch into so I could heal up other party members, but the opportunity NEVER came up. Or rather, there was never a "safe" opponent to do so against. The few times that strategy started to become necessary, the opponent was a bad matchup for Regirock. He may be a Defense monster, but his Special Defense is garbage. And the opponent always had either a type advantage against his Rock or was a special attacker. Making him basically useless for the entire run.

Unexpected Star: Manaphy

When Suicune died I needed a new surfer to replace him and didn't exactly have a lot of options. So I reluctantly took Manaphy... and was soon blown away by the moveset combination that emerged with him! Manaphy became a setup terror. Naturally learning Aqua Ring and Rain Dance from TM (which combines with his ability Hydration which heals his status conditions in the rain) turned him into one of my strongest very quickly. He easily obliterated everything in his path once we hit Victory Road...

Shortest Life: Xerneas

He died in his 1st battle, right after I caught him. The only "legit" catch in the game... and I bumbled his fight against Lysandre and got him killed... oops...

Longest Life: Chesnaught

2nd Longest Life: Regirock

Was the 2nd legend I pulled from the box. It was Zapdos then Regirock.

Most Unfair Death: Zapdos

Sky battle. I, foolishly, assumed Zapdos' electric type, combined with his legendary strength, would always guarantee him victory. After all, our opponents in sky battles were ALWAYS going to be flying types, right? Then we ran into a Cryogonal. Zapdos didn't have type advantage, I had no other flyers I could switch in, and he quickly died. I stopped doing the sky battles after that...

Most Pointless Death: Darkrai

I was trying to use his "Bad Dreams" ability to bleed Professor Sycamore and wasn't paying attention to how much damage his Venusaur could do back to me. That overly aggressive behavior cost me Darkrai. There is no excuse, I was just playing stupid when I had Victini in my back pocket I could have switched into and easily burned that plant monster to death. But... I didn't...

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Overall, it was a good run. And it turned out to involve more strategy than I initially expected. Like, legendaries are strong, but they all follow the Slow XP curve. So they take forever to train. So losing one is doubly painful and makes choosing a new member a very important decision. Not that it wouldn't be important even in a normal Nuzlocke, but the time loss for choosing a bad team member is extra punishing. Like Regirock. I committed to using him even as it became more and more apparent that he was the least useful member of the team simply because training up a replacement would take just that much time.

Disclaimer: it wasn't entirely a "legitimate run". Randomized field items and +10% lvs of ALL pokemon (wild, static, and trainer). So I wasn't AS over-leveled for the E4 + Champ as it seems. Kyurem was lv 63 and Iris's ace, her Haxorus, was lv 65.

I don't know how I ended up with the entire team lv 70 either. I didn't do that on purpose. Like, yeah, I tried to keep everyone's levels pretty equal throughout the run, but once the final gauntlet with Team Plasma began, I was barely paying attention. I knew I was already over-leveled by then and was just trying to get to the end. But I have a compulsion that forces me to fully explore every area/route, to fight EVERY trainer, and to NEVER run from a wild encounter. And I got lost like 3 times during the story so I ended up wandering around the world for HOURS. The team's levels sure benefited...

It was fun, but a bit frustrating. I feel like the Black + White games weren't as good at guiding the player where they needed to go though. Like, after dealing with Kyurem, Hugh tells you to go back to "where you met". Like, WHAT?! We've met up like a dozen times in the past hour! Been through an entire gauntlet of areas! What are you talking about "where we last met"?! Which one?! For the 3rd time I was wandering around like an idiot. Just trying to find the cave/door that would take me to victory road.

I pretty much steam-rolled the E4 and Champ though, which was disappointing. Only Shauntal (ghost) and Marshall (fighting) even could put up a fight. For example, Hercules (my heracross) literally 1st turn one-shot Grimsley's (dark) ENTIRE team using only Brick Break. No strategy needed, just spam attacks and win without taking a single hit. Again, I didn't over-level on purpose... I just kept getting lost...